Saliva-ejector.



L; C. BROWNTON. SALIVA EJECTOR. APPLICATIONYHLED Nov. 3. 1-915.

Patented May30.1916.

FLEIGHTON c; :enowiv'ron, or SAN JOSE, oamronnm.

SALIVA-EJECTOR.

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Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I, .LEIGHTON C. BROWN- 'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at SanJose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saliva-Ejectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to saliva ejectors and has as its object to provide a dental appliance of this class which will present none of the disadvantages attending the use of the ordinary ejector and which will, on the other hand, possess decided advantages over similar devices now in use.

In one form of saliva'ejector ordinarily used, the intake leg of the saliva tube is provided at its end with a head having a number of openings in its sides. As is well known, a compressible bulb or other suction creating device is connected with the longer or outlet le of such an instrument for the purpose of drawing the saliva up into the tube and into the outlet leg thereof. In the form of ejector referred to, the soft tissues within the mouth are liable to be drawn, by reason of the suction force, into the openings in the head at the end of this leg, thus causing much annoyance to the patient and at the same time preventing the desired drainage or ejection of the saliva. The present invention therefore has as one aim to so construct and form the inlet end of the intake leg of the ejector that there will be no likelihood of the tissues of the mouth coming in contact with that portion of the head in which the inlet openings are formed and consequently no annoyance will be caused the patient on this account and the openings will not be liable to become obstructed. I

The invention also aims to so construct the saliva ejector that a single one of the ejectors will be adapted to fit different mouths, the intake leg of the ejector being adjustable as to length.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a perspective View of the saliva ejector embodying the present invention. -Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the sections coinprising the intake leg being separated. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale taken vertically through the intake leg of the ejector.

As is usual in saliva ejectors, the ejector embodying the present invention includes a Specification of Letters fatent.

. used, the ejector may be formed from paper rammed. May so, rare.

Application filed November 3,1915. Serial No. 59,455.

leg or branch 1 which constitutes the intake leg of the ejector and a leg or branch 2 whlch constitutes the outlet leg of the ejector, these legs being connected at their upper ends by a bend 3. The ejector may be formed from any suitable material such, for

example, as glass, or if it is desired to discard the e ector after having been once or any suitable composition from which it may be manufactured at low cost. A rubber bulb or other suitable suction creating device is, of course, to be connected to the leg 2 of the ejector for the purpose of drawing the saliva from the mouth into the said leg and discharging the same, but inasmuch as this suction device constitutes no part of the present invention, the same has not been illustrated.

The intake leg of the ejector-consists in fact of a section which is integrally con-- nected'with the bend 3 and of a tip which is adjustably fitted to the said section and which carries the intake head previously referred to. i

The tip which constitutes a part of the intake leg of the ejector comprises a tubular stem 4 which is exteriorly of a diameter to fit snugly and frictionally within the lower end of the fixed section of the said leg and at its lower end the stem is provided with a hollow head 5 which is preferably substantially mushroom shaped, the head having a convex under side indicated by the numeral 6 and a concave upper side indicated by the numeral 7 and the stem t being located so as to extend from the center of the said side 7. By reason of the peculiar for mation of the head 5 an annular cup or channel 8 surrounds the lower end of the stem 4 and is adapted to receive the saliva to be ejected. In order that the collected saliva may enter the head 5 and subsequently pass up through the stem 4 when suction is created within the ejector, the bottom wall of the cup or channel 8 is formed with a number of openings indicated by the numeral 9.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the stem 4 of the tip is snugly fitted within the lower end of the fixed section of the intakeleg and that consequently this leg as a whole may be lengthened or shortened to adapt it to different mouths. It will be ob- 110 served further by reference to the said Figs. 1 and 3 that the openings 9 are so located liable to that they will not be obstructed by the tissues of the mouth nor will the tissues be be drawn into the openings when a suction force iscreated Within the ejector and inasmuch as the under surface of the head 5 is smooth and convex and the head is exteriorly smooth-at the juncture of its under and upper sides, there will be no likelihood of injury to the tissues or inconvenience being caused the patient due to the presence of the intake leg within the mouth.

Having thusdes cribed the invention what is claimed as new is:

'1. A saliva ejector having an intake leg, 

